


Normal Circumstances

by Tarlan



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Community: mcsheplets, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-06-18
Updated: 2011-06-18
Packaged: 2017-10-20 12:52:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,264
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/212972
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tarlan/pseuds/Tarlan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dave learns more than one truth about his brother.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Normal Circumstances

**Author's Note:**

> Written for mcsheplets prompt #86 Telling Friends and Family

Dave sighed in annoyance as Agent Barrett placed a thick document in front of him and asked him to sign. Under normal circumstances, he would not have allowed Barrett into his home, preferring to do business in his office.

"I don't sign anything without going over it first with my lawyers."

"It's a straightforward copy of the Official State Secrets document provided by Homeland Security. You have a choice, Mr. Sheppard. You sign it now and we can let you into one of those secrets--or I leave without your signature and you'll never know what you may have missed."

"And this has something to do with my brother?" It was a rhetorical question but Barrett nodded anyway.

"Mr. Sheppard?"

His curiosity had been piqued, especially following John's reappearance last year, their slow but positive attempt at reconciliation, followed by his disappearance again. Admittedly, this time Dave received the occasional email but there was a lot missing if he was reading between the lines correctly. Ever since the incident at their father's funeral, Dave had wanted to know what had kept his brother out of contact for so long, and why he had seemingly fallen off the face of the Earth when Dave tried to find him when their father was dying.

With another heavy sigh, he picked up the pen and began to sign his name where indicated, listening to Barrett's explanation for why each of the signatures was required. Eventually, everything was in order and Barrett gathered up the document and placed it into his briefcase.

"Okay. We can go. Are you ready to depart?"

Dave glanced across at the small suitcase. He had said his goodbye to his wife and the children this morning, aware that this trip could take up to a month.

"Yes."

"Then, if you don't mind?"

Dave stood and picked up his case, waiting for Barrett to lead him to the door. Instead, Barrett spoke into a radio.

"Ready, Sir."

A bright flash of light surrounded them, the walls of his home disappearing, replaced by the gray of metal. Dave dropped his case in shock as he saw an image of the Earth on a massive screen that was clearer than any high definition movie he could recall seeing. He could almost believe he was looking out of an observation window from space, looking down on his home world.

"Now that is impressive. Japanese technology?"

"Sorry sir?"

Dave waved towards the image. "The high definition television."

Barrett smirked. "That's a window, sir."

"It's..." Dave blinked and cleared his throat.

"Colonel Sheppard thought you might like to see the view before we beam you down to the mountain." Barrett's smile broadened. "Bet you're pleased you signed those papers now."

Dave flicked a glance towards him but his eyes went straight back to a sight he never expected to see in his lifetime even though he had a pre-booked seat on the first Virgin shuttle.

"My brother...?"

"I'm sorry, but we need to head to the mountain now."

Dave nodded, still too awe-struck to find words. He groped for and found his case as the light took them again, this time leaving them in an office with no windows.

"Mr. Sheppard. General O'Neill," Barrett stated.

Dave reached out and shook the General's hand, still reeling from the shock of moving from one place to another in the blink of an eye. He blinked again as O'Neill rubbed his hands together.

"You are a lucky man!"

"I am?"

O'Neill gave an enigmatic smile and turned when a sergeant entered unannounced. "Ready to go?"

"Yes, sir. Dialing sequence has started."

"And Doctor Jackson?"

"Waiting by the gate for you."

O'Neill rubbed his hands together again, obviously eager and happy to get moving. Dave followed him down the stairs and through a large set of doors, all the time hearing words like, "Chevron Five encoding. Locked."

The outer edge of the huge round circle was spinning, and as the Chevron Eight locked, a plume of what looked like water whooshed out from the inner circle, startling Dave. It settled back, rippling like water on the surface of a pond...except this pond was vertical.

"You have a go, sir."

Another man joined them. "Oh! You must be Dave Sheppard." He stuck out a hand and Dave barely had time to shake before O'Neill was hurrying them up the ramp towards the vertical water. Before he even had time to think about the possibility of getting drenched, he felt his whole body being torn apart at the molecular level, and the rest of the step he had taken landed in yet another place. This place was awe-inspiring, like the inside of a palace with a staircase sweeping upwards ahead of him.

A man and a beautiful, exotic woman stood before them and for once in his life, Dave had a hard time focusing on the introductions, but he noted the man introducing himself as Richard Woolsey and the woman as Teyla Emmagan...but what caught his attention was the figure heading towards him taking the beautiful stairs two at a time. John stopped before them, joining the man and the strangely attired woman--and stood to attention, saluting sharply but dropping it instantly as O'Neill waved it away.

"General O'Neill. it's good to have you back here."

"Hope you've been looking after our city, Sheppard."

"Yes, sir."

"Then I'll leave you two to catch up."

"Yes, sir. And it's good to see you again, Doctor Jackson."

O'Neill and Jackson walked away with Woolsey, leaving Dave alone with his brother and the beautiful woman, though Dave could see a lot of others eyeing them curiously. He had taken about three steps towards John before he saw Ronon step out of the shadows, recognizing the contractor that John had brought alone to the funeral. The man's clothing looked very different though, with leather pants and a vest top, and a large, weird looking gun at his side, which added extra menace to the already impressive figure.

John stepped forward. "I think all the introductions have been made so..." He looked across and called to one of the military personnel. "Can you see that this gets to temporary quarters?"

"Yes, sir." The soldier took Dave's case but Dave barely noticed, too caught up in the beauty of this place.

John's personal guided tour led him around the beautiful city but it wasn't until they stepped out onto the balcony and he saw two moons in an unfamiliar night sky that it really sank home that there was nothing normal about this day. He was in another galaxy, in the previously lost city of Atlantis, and two of the people he had met earlier were aliens--born on worlds far from Earth and the Milky Way.

He heard the door slide open behind them and half turned to see a worried yet excited man standing behind them, wringing his hands nervously.

"Dave? I want you to meet Doctor Rodney McKay...my partner."

Dave blinked and looked down at the hand thrust out towards him. His brother's partner...boyfriend...lover. Dave smiled, recalling John mentioning that there was someone special in his life but circumstances prevented him from saying much more. With everything that had happened today--with the instantaneous travel from Earth to outer space, to a lost city in another galaxy--finally having the confirmation that his brother was indeed gay seemed mundane in comparison, especially following the repeal of DADT.

Dave reached out and grasped the hand firmly.

"Pleased to finally meet you, Rodney."

END


End file.
